Miscellaneous Papers. 101 



"WITCHING" FOR WATER AND OTHER THINGS. 



By J. T. LovEWELii, Topeka. 



FROM time immemorial, at least for hundreds of years, 

 there has existed a widespread belief that certain persons 

 have the ability to discover underground streams of water 

 through the agency of a forked twig of witch-hazel, peach or 

 willow, which, held in a certain way, is moved downward on 

 passing over a subterranean stream or body of water. 



The forked twig is not essential, for a watch, suspended by 

 its chain, or any heavy body similarly supported pendulum- 

 wise, will, it is sa"id, set up vibrations on being carried over 

 subterranean water. We had in Topeka a believer in water- 

 witching, who found his carriage whip held by its slender end 

 was an effective indicator of water, bowing down under its 

 influence. The common name with us for persons who thus 

 locate wells is water-witches. In England they call them 

 dowsers or dippers, while in France they are termed sourciers, 

 or discoverers of sources. The Germans have a term with 

 similar meaning, wasser finders. Their business is important 

 enough so that we may call it a trade, to which is added gen- 

 erally the prosaic occupation of well digger. They commonly 

 are persons with little pretension to culture or scientific knowl- 

 edge, and it is surprising how many who want a well dug are 

 willing to contribute a fee for witching it, They may not 

 admit a belief in the witch-hazel, but justify the practice by 

 saying that everybody knows in digging a well it makes m 

 great difference where you put it, and these diggers by long- 

 experience can tell the best place by general appearance of the 

 locality or by the divining rod, it matters not which, and so 

 they earn their fee. 



We propose to examine the validity of these claims of the 

 water-witches with the candor due to many people of ac- 

 knowledged ability and integrity who believe in them. There 

 is a great deal of mystery in the construction of this earth on 

 whose surface we live. We can not penetrate it more than 

 about one mile, nor can we rise above it more than about five 

 miles. Geology enables us to guess more or less closely what 

 is the construction of this thin shell less than one ten-thou- 



